Commentary; Posted: 6/12/02

Masquers signals the arrival of summer

By Cliff Buchan

There is one sure way to know when summer has arrived in Forest Lake for real. There will be a Masquers Theatre Production play on stage at Forest Lake High School.

For the summer of 2002, the season arrives in one short week. On Thursday, June 13, Masquers will debut ìA Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.î In July Masquers will produce Neil Simonís ìThe Odd Coupleî and conclude the season in August with ìThe Wiz,î stage version of the ìWizard of Oz.î

Like the nice summer weather weíve come to expect here, Forest Lake residents may be guilty of taking for granted the cultural gem we have in Masquers, a local institution for a quarter of a century.

For many of us, Masquers is an institution that has always been here and always will be here.

But the latter is not necessarily true if the public does not display greater support for our local summer theater group.

The summer stage productions are always a treat and a delight. But they donít happen without months of planning and hours of sweat and tears as the productions are pulled together.

We are treated to the beauty that is presented on stage, but the public seldom recognizes what goes on behind the curtain to make it all happen.

As a community, we need to be more supportive of Masquers Theatre Company. It is not too late to help this season.

There are several things we can do as businesses and individuals to promote the theater arts in Forest Lake.

A major step is to attend the summer productions. Nothing can be more rewarding to a cast than a full house of spectators absorbing every sight and sound of a performance.

This season saw Masquers renew a past tradition of offering season ticket memberships. They are wonderful for families or area businesses who provide tickets for employees or clients. Itís not too late to jump on this bandwagon or pick and choose the productions you wish to see.

There are other ways to help, too. This is a citizen theater company and volunteers and workers are always needed and welcomed. People to work in areas such as publicity and fund-raising are needed right now.

As the Forest Lake area continues to see more and more new residents each year, our new citizens need to be turned on and tuned in to Masquers. It is something to enjoy as a spectator and a place where your talents and energy can be put to good use.

Masquers Theatre Company has been an important part of our community. The company can use our help again this summer in many ways.

It is an effort that is deserving of our support this year and every year.

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